Supporting and manipulating curtains and the like



Sept. 16, 1941. ARMSTRONG 2,256,008

SUPPORTING AND MANIPULATING CURTAINS AND THE LIKE v Fi led Feb. 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 p 1941 F. D. ARMSTRONG 2,256,008

SUPPORTING AND MANIPULATING CURTAINS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 16, 1941 SUPPORTING AND MANIPULATIN G CURTAINS AND THE LIKE Fredrick Donald Armstrong, Brighton-le-Sands, near Sydney, Australia Application February 26, 1940, Serial No. 320,956 In Australia June 7, 1939 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in supporting and manipulating curtains and similar hanging drapings and blinds and has particular application in the supporting and manipulation of stage curtains employed in amusement theatres. I

As far as I am aware curtain have, hitherto, been manipulated manually for drawing and withdrawing and, in general, the present invention relates to the provision of means associated with curtain supports which will enable such curtains to be automatically drawn and withdrawn as desired. In an adaptation of the invention the apparatus described may be manipulated manually instead of automatically.

In the drawings, which illustrate appropriate forms of the invention, as applied to stage curtains,

Figure 1 is an elevation of the curtain with its appurtenances,

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the supporting and manipulating means,

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are sectional elevations on lines 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5 respectively of Figure 2,

Figure 6 is a similar view to that of Figure 1 but showing another form of construction,

Figures 7 and 8 are sectional elevations on lines 'I'I and 88 respectively of Figure 6,

Figure 9 is a sectional elevation showing a modified detail of construction, and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary detail showing an alternative form of curtain suspension.

Referring to the drawings, I0 (Figure 1) of Illa.- (Figures 6, 7 and 8) is a tubular member suitably supported as by aframe II or otherwise according to known practice. I2 is a rod or spindle having screw-threads I3 and I 3a upon opposite sides of the centre thereof, one of the said screwthreads being right-handed and the other screwthread being left-handed. I4 are ball races supporting the rod or spindle I2. Nuts I5 ride upon each respective screw-thread I3 and I 3a of spindle I2. I6 are lugs depending from nuts I5. I! are slotted portions on the undersides of tube I0 (or Illa) disposed in the path of travel of lugs I5. I8 are brackets carried by lugs I6 to support curtains I9. 20 are supporting rings for curtains IS. 22 are rollers and 2I are supporting units attached to rollers 22 and supporting curtain rings 20. Supporting units 2| may take the form of U-brackets 2Ia (as shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7) or otherwise (as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4). necting lug I 6 with the first roller 22. 23 (Figures 6 and 7) are horizontally disposed straps about 2% (Figures 6, 7 and 8 is a link conrollers 22. 24 (Figure 1) is a spacer casting housing driving gear 25, for the spindle I2, and 26 represents a prime mover such as an electric motor; 21 is a drive pulley and 39 is a belt. 28 (Figure 6) is a pulley, 29 is an endless belt, 36 is a drive pulley and 3i is a motor. 36 (Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4) is a switch in circuit with the motor 26 and 36a (Figures 6 and 8) is a switch in circuit with electric motor SI. 32 (Figures 1, 2 and 3) is a projection on lug I6 adapted to operate switch 36; 33 (Figures 6 and 8) is a trip rod capable of operation through the travel of lug I8 to infiuence spring 34 to operate switch arm 35 of switch 36a. 3'! are cords attached to lugs I6 and to curtains I9 and 38 are sheaves about which cords 3'? pass.

Figure 9 shows a modified construction wherein the spindle I2 is offset from the centre of the tubular member I0 and placed towards the crest thereof. This allows an increased space for rollers 22 thus enabling rollers of larger size to be employed and also enabling the rollers to be given, to some degree, a curvature conforming to that of the tubular member Ii]. Figure 10 shows an alternative form of supporting lug I6 wherein the lower portion Ilia of the lug is suspended by a swivel 39 and carries a trigger or projection 40. 4| is an adjustable bracket mounted upon tube I0 and having an extended side. The extended side of the bracket acts as a trip for the trigger 40 and causes folding of the curtain. The position at which folding is desired is determined by the setting of the bracket Al on the tube I0.

As the spindle I2 is rotated the nuts I5, riding on oppositely turned screw-threads on the respective ends of the said spindle I2, will advance towards the centre of the tube IE (or Ida) or retire towards the respective ends thereof according to the direction of rotation of the said spindle I2. The nuts I5, when advancing towards the ends of the containing tube, will abut each first roller 22 and cause it to move towards the tube end whereby each roller 22 will, in turn, abut the succeeding roller so that, as the nuts I5 retire, the rollers 22 will correspondingly retire (Figure 1). Sinc the curtains I9 are supported, through lug I6 and bracket I8 and curtain rings 20, from the nuts I5 and rollers 22 respectively, they will withdraw as the nuts retire. In the form of the invention as shown in Figure 6, the rollers 22 are flanged and ride outside the tube Ina. In this case each forward roller is actuated by its corresponding nut I5 by means of a link 2Ib' attached thereto and to the lug I6 of the nut; where the rollers are flanged there is a possibility of fouling and this is obviated by providing each such roller with a strap as 23. When the nuts i5 advance towards the centre of the containing tube they will draw the curtains together. The containing tube ID (or Illa) is slotted on the underside, as at H, in order to enable the lugs I6 and, as shown in Figure 1, the supports 2| to move relatively thereto. The tubes, as herein referred to, may be supported in any suitable manner in accordance with known practice; in Figures l and 6 there is shown a supporting frame lljbut' it. will be readily apparent that other means of. support may be employed; for example, the ends of'the spindle [2 may be accommodated in bearings.

When the construction shownin Figure'lll is employed the curtain end will rotate on the swivel 39 causing the trigger 40 to impinge against the bracket 4| and wrap about it whereby the curtain will be given a vertical rollas it is withdrawn. j

..Any suitable method for causing the spindle 12 to rotate may be employed and a variety of known meansareavailable for this purpose; for example av spacer casting 24 (Figure 1) may be disposed centrallyof the tube Ill said spacer casting housing appropriate driving gear 25 attached ,to spindle I2 and driven by an electric motor 26 through a drive pulley 2i and belting 39. Again :(Figure 6) a pulley .28 may be carried-on one end of the spindle. l2, outside the tube Ilia, the said pulley being driven through belting 29 from a drive pulleyfii) by a motor 3!. Suitable known means may be employed to control the operation of the motor for stopping, starting or reversing and switches therefor may be. conveniently located as, for example, in the projection operators box in a motion picture theatre. .Such means may be caused to operate during the opening or closing of the curtains; for example a switch, as 36, may be so arranged that it is actuated to cut out the motor through the movement of one of the nuts l5 whenthe latter reaches thelimit of. itstravel inthe opening or closing of the curtains; and, in this case, a lug l6.may be, equipped with a trip mechanism, such as lug 32,. adapted to operate a switch 36 when the nut [5 reaches a required position; again,; a trip rod.33 (Figures 6 and 8) may be adapted tobe mechanically actuated during the travel of a lug Hi to influence a spring 3% adaptedto operate an arm 35 on a switch 36a. In an adaptationof the invention cords 31 are attached to lugs 85, taken about suitablesheaves 33 and attached to the inside edges (at suitable locations) of opposite curtains (Figure 1). so that, as the nuts I5 move backwards; tension is placed upon the curtains, where fastened to the cords Y37, and the curtains are thereby draped as they arerwithdrawn (see dotted lines, Figure l) It: will be obvious that. alternatives for and mechanical equivalentscof the apparatus herein described andillustrated may be employed for the purposes of this invention. For example,. the rollers 22 may be substituted by slippers or by telescopic tubes. ,Again the tube,'as10 (or Illa), may be curved, in form and, ,not necessarily limited to alinear 'form. In this, case a coiled spring may replace the rod 12 and the pitchiof the spring maygbeused for the travelof the moving nut, the latter running inside the spring; .or, instead of acoiled spring, a flexed casing may 7 be employed and the moving 'nut will .travel thereon in the -manner hereinbefore set out.

Althoughthe invention has beenv herein demoving in the slotted tube, will facilitate the rollers.

drawing of such blinds; alternatively, slotted tubes, carrying rollers, may be disposed at top and bottom of the blind and the supporting cords, at both 'top and bottom, carried on the said The blind cords are spring loaded or .otherwise carried by adjustable tensioning devices in order to provide for Variations in blind length caused by shrinkage or other means.

Other alternatives will become apparent from the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings. 5 Having thus describedand ascertained by said invention and the manner in which it is to be performed I declare that what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: V 1. Apparatus for supporting and manipulating curtains comprising, in combination, a tube slotted on the underside, a rod supported longitudinally within said tube, said rod located offcentre of the tube and towards the upper surface thereof, right and left-handed screw threads upon the respective ends of said rod, means to rotate the rod, nuts adapted to ride upon the respective screw threads aforesaid and complementarily arranged,'lugs depending from said nuts and extending through the tube slot, rollers carried within the tube and beyond each of the nutsjaforesaid, said rollers riding on the tube bottom about the slotted parts thereof and in line with the nuts and lugs aforesaid, a dependent unit extending from each said roller and extending through the tube slot said dependent unit mounted for free movement on the rollers, and curtain supporting means attached to the lugs and roller dependent units aforesaid.

2. Apparatus for supporting and manipulating curtains comprising, in combination, a tube slotted on the underside, a rod supported longitudinally within said tube, right and left-handed screw-threads upon the respective ends of said rod, means to rotate the rod, nuts adapted to ride uponthe respective screw threads aforesaid and complementarily arranged, lugs depending from said nuts and extending through the tube slots, rollers running upon the top of the tube and disposed oneither side of the centre thereof, a link attached to each lug aforesaid beyond the tube and to each first roller whereby each first roller is moved as each said lug moves, brackets attached to each roller and extending below the tube, and curtain'supporting means attached to the lugs and brackets aforesaid.

3. Apparatus for supporting and manipulating curtains comprising, in combination, a tube slotted on the underside, a rod supported longitudinally within said tube, right and left-handed screw threads upon the respective ends of said rod, means to rotate the rod, nuts adapted to ride, upon the respective screw threads aforesaid complementarily arranged, lugs depending from said nuts and extending through the tube slots, a swivel jointed appendage depending from each lug, a projection upon each appendage, a fixed member placed in the path travelled by said proscribed with reference to curtains, it will be ap- Jection when its associated nut moves towards the tube end said fixed member causing the projection to be turned as it passes by, rollers borne by the tube said rollers extending beyond each of the nuts aforesaid and adapted to be moved when the nuts move on the screw threaded rod and curtain supporting means attached to each swivel jointed appendage and to the rollers aforesaid.

4. Apparatus for supporting and manipulating curtains comprising, in combination, a tube slotted on the underside, a rod supported longitudinally within said tube, right and left-handed screw threads upon the respective ends of said rod, an electric motor set up to drive said rod for rotation in either direction, nuts adapted to ride upon the respective screw threads aforesaid and complementarily arranged, lugs depending from said nuts and extending through the tube slots, a trip switch set up for operation by the travel of said lugs to stop the electric motor at a prearranged position, rollers borne by the tube, said rollers extending beyond each of the nuts aforesaid and curtain supporting means attached to each of the lugs and the rollers aforesaid.

5. Apparatus for supporting and manipulating curtains comprising, in combination, tubular elements arranged linearly on either side of a spacer casting, each said tubular element slotted on the underside, a rod supported longitudinally within each said tubular element and journalled in the spacer casting, right and left-handed screw threads upon the respective ends of said rod, means to rotate the rod, nuts arranged to ride upon the respective screw threads aforesaid and complementarily arranged, lugs depending from the nuts aforesaid, said lugs extending through the tube slots and projected inwards to approach each other below the spacer casting, rollers borne by each tubular element, said rollers extending beyond each of the nuts aforesaid and curtain supporting means attached to the lugs and rollers aforesaid.

FREDRICK DONALD ARMSTRONG. 

